Post navigation

Five years ago we sat down with Bryan McGinness (CEO) and Jeff McGinness (VP of Operations) who had recently purchased the Wine Styles franchise opportunity and were looking to expand their market. That was when there was just one location in the Des Moines Metro. Today there are three and there are now 15 Wine Styles Craft Beer and Retail Wine locations from Alaska to Virginia. Step back in time with us as we get into our Way-Back Machine and talk…wine and business.

The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday, hour-long business podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday – Friday starting at 5pm Central. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications.

In 1992 d’Arenberg’s neighbors built a dam in which no water lay, as it was a dry winter. The next year it rained but the dam was jinxed and didn’t hold water. Some people mix the name around, calling the wine ‘The Dam Dry Riesling,’ which in some years is truer than others. For this vintage, small batches of grapes were crushed gently, chilled and then transferred to custom designed steel basket presses. Gentle juice extraction is critical early on to retain the delicate fruit flavors. The fermentation was long and cool, and was stopped before reaching total dryness to ensure that residual sugar remains to balance the high mineral acidity. It was an excellent year for Riesling in McLaren Vale. Enjoy the heady yet delicate personality of this wine in youth or confidently cellar it.

In 1959, Francis d’Arenberg (d’Arry) Osborn began bottling d’Arenberg wines under the now famous Red Stripe label. Today, d’Arenberg is the keeper of nearly one-third of all of McLaren Vale’s mature Grenache bush vines and d’Arry has celebrated 67 consecutive vintages earning consistent critical acclaim for their coveted Grenache-based wines. Fourth generation winemaker, Chester Osborn, guides the small-batch Grenache parcels from the vintage through the gentle ‘Demoisy’ crusher, into open fermenters and then into the 19th century basket-presses. Natural minimal processing ensures maximum flavor which results in a harmless deposit in the bottle.

“When Grenache is good, you know it straight away. The nose is packed with fresh fruit characters of raspberry, cherry and pomegranate, with complex notes of sooty black earth and cracked fennel seed in support. With time, the palate evolves from initial fresh red fruit characters into a darker brooding blackberry and Kalamata olive skin spectrum. The wine maintains its focus and drive on a long lingering finish held by a tight rhubarb-like acid line. The fine line is further supported by structured, lively tannin.”. – Chester Osborn, winemaker

One of the undisputed kings of Australian Shiraz and Rhone varietals, d’Arenberg has managed to turn individuality into an art form by doing a whole lot of little things differently. In 1912, the original vineyards were established and a century later d’Arenberg has more than 345 acres managed by 4th generation winemaker, Chester Osborn. d’Arenberg has been ranked as one of the Top 100 Wineries in the world by Wine & Spirits Magazine six times! A wild grass, the Love Grass, often grows in the vineyards surrounding the d’Arenberg winery. During vintage, the sticky, Velcro-like, long stemmed flowers of the Love Grass affectionately attach themselves to the vineyard workers’ socks. This Shiraz will also linger with you and, as such, the family thought it fitting to name this wine ‘The Love Grass’.

“Quite a lifted nose, with intense aromas of mulberry, plum and graphite. The round and deliciously balanced palate mirrors the nose. The wine finishes long with moderate acidity and heaps of fine, spicy tannins.”. – Chester Osborn, winemaker

The Barbera varietal comes from the hills of northern Italy’s Piedmonte region, where it has been grown since the 13th century. During the 1800s and 1900s, Italian immigrants introduced the varietal to the Americas, most notably in Argentina and California. The grapes are known for their deep color and softer tannins. The fruit for this Barbera comes from Rancho Victoria nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, in the northern part of Amador County. The soils here are sandy clay loam derived from decomposed granite. This provides abundant nutrients and water retention for healthy, strong vines. The grapes were handpicked and destemmed without crushing the berries. This gentle approach minimizes the pick-up of bitter components from the skins and seeds. The wine was racked to oak, and aged for 12 months on 35% new French medium toasted oak.

The grapes for the Bianco di Sei Sorelle come from the Diamond Pile Ranch in the Petaluma Gap. This ranch grows low yielding grapevines planted in deep clay soils with a westward facing slope. This limits vigor while providing excellent conditions for sunshine and ripening. The cool fog and wind barrages the vineyard, slowing the ripening and retaining lively acidity while allowing flavors to develop slowly to a crescendo at harvest. The grapes were handpicked in the early morning to retain their vibrancy and natural flavor. At the winery, the grapes were destemmed and gently pressed into a tank ready for fermentation. Fermentation began naturally and completed at a very cool temperature to retain acidity and fruitiness. The lees were stirred regularly to further enhance the richness.

“The Bianco di Sei Sorelle has delightful aromas of citrus, green apple, pineapple, almond and grapefruit. It has great weight and texture with balanced acidity that keeps the palate fresh and gives it excellent length. It would be an ideal wine with light pasta dishes, chicken or seafood.” – Charlie Tsegeletos, winemaker.

DIRECTIONS:• Bake croutons – Preheat oven to 400℉. Toss bread cubes with oil and salt in a large shallow baking pan and spread in one layer. Bake, turning over once, until golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.
• Make Vinaigrette – Whisk together all ingredients except oil in small bowl. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.
• Toss chicken and bocconcini together with ¼ cup vinaigrette in a bowl and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Make salad – Toss together romaine, fennel, red peppers, olives, chicken mixture, croutons and remaining dressing in a large bowl until combined.
• Serve with a glass of Bianco di Sei Sorelle. Recipe courtesy of Epicurious at Yummly.com

A club member favorite, we’re proud to share the Jacuzzi Family wines with your family this holiday season. The perfect pairing for your holiday dinners and celebrations. If you’re not a Wine Club member yet, please join us! We’ll have a $20 Bonus Card waiting for you when you join for 3 months or more! Or give a gift a membership and keep the $20 Bonus Card for yourself! > Click to learn more

DIRECTIONS:• Place the porcini in a small bowl and cover with boiling water, let stand for 20 minutes. Strain, coarsely chop and set aside.
• In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons butter. When butter foams, add wild mushrooms and stir until soft and liquid from mushrooms is almost completely evaporated. Add porcini to pan. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add cream and simmer until thick and slightly reduced. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
• In a saucepan, bring broth to a steady simmer.
• In a heavy 4-quart pot, heat 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, do not brown. Add rice and stir so that kernels are well coated. Add wine and stir until completely absorbed. Begin to add simmering broth ½ cup at a time, stirring frequently, when liquid is almost absorbed, add another ½ cup until absorbed and continue process until all broth is added. When rice is tender but firm, add mushroom mixture, Parmesan cheese and parsley. Stir to combine. Serve immediately and with a glass of Jacuzzi Family Vineyards Nebbiolo. Recipe adapted: More than 100 Dishes for the Classic Rice Dish of Northern Italy, by Judith Barrett and Norma Wasserman.

Primarily grown in the Piedmonte region of Italy, Nebbiolo is famous in wines such as Barolo and Barbaresco. Grapes for this wine come from Jacuzzi’s Carneros estate and Sonoma Coast vineyards. The Carneros estate grapes are planted on an east facing slope and get great morning sunshine and even temperatures to ripen slowly and evenly. Nebbiolo planted in the Petaluma Gap region of Sonoma gets cool mornings and hot afternoons that help retain acidity and bright flavors. They are some of the last grapes to be picked for the season. Grapes were handpicked and sorted in the vineyard, ensuring only the best grapes made it to the tanks. They were gently pressed and transferred to barrels for 2 years aging, enabling tannins to soften and mellow into a full and rich wine. Aged in 38% American oak to enhance and embolden the natural flavors.

The team at WineStyles in Cedar Rapids, Iowa reviews our wine club this month, along with Beer Club and our holiday offer – Bottle Bucks Bonus cards! If you’ve been on the fence to join our Wine Club, now is the time! Get a $20 Bonus Card and enjoy this delicious Pumpkin Ravioli pairing recipe and Chardonnay from Martellotto Winery in Santa Barbara, California! Happy Thanksgiving! Cheers!

Martellotto Winery
Melodeon
Chardonnay
Santa Barbara, California

The fanciful name “Melodeon” is the name given to foot-pumped organs used in the 19th century. Just imagine an old west saloon with gunslingers and whisky, with a melodeon organ music in the background. Melodeon was also commonly referred to as an accordion played while draped over a musician’s thigh. As such, the music of the time played in saloons of the Barbary Coast was referred to as melodeon. This black label “Melodeon” Chardonnay is as smooth, genuine, and lyrical as its name. This melodious Chardonnay’s low alcohol is the result of picking the fruit earlier, leading to a lovely natural acidity. After 10 months in oak with limited sulfur additions, the wine was minimally filtered and bottled.

“Notes of buttered toast, baked pecans, oak and vanilla carry through into the flavors of Melodeon. Creamy and buttery with a tension and nerve like makes the lips pucker.” – Greg Martellotto, winemaker

November Tasting Event

Over 600 years in the making!

Since 1385, the Antinori family has been committed to the art of winemaking. Over 600 hundred years ago, Giovanni di Piero Antinori became a member of the “Arte Fiorentina dei Vinattieri”, the Florentine Winemakers’ Guild. For twenty-six generations, the Antinori family has managed the business directly making innovative and sometimes bold decisions while upholding the utmost respect for traditions and the environment.

ANTINORI WINERY, ITALY

Each vintage and each plot of land is a new pursuit for achieving higher quality standards for Antinori. As Marchese Piero loves to say: “Ancient family roots play an important part in our philosophy but they have never hindered our innovative spirit.”

ANCIENT FAMILY ROOTS

The family’s historical heritage lies in their estates in Tuscany and Umbria, however over the years they have invested in many other areas, both in Italy and abroad. They are well-known for producing high quality wine, opening up new opportunities to appreciate and develop unique new terroirs with great winemaking potential.

Research and development has been an ongoing process for the family, such as selecting new clones of local and international varieties, experimenting with new techniques in the vineyards and vineyard altitudes and new approaches to fermentation and temperature control. They also experiment with traditional and innovative winemaking philosophies, using new types of oak for barrels, barrel size and age, and varying length of aging in the bottle before commercial release.

“We have demonstrated, over the years, that in Tuscany and in Umbria there was the possibility of producing excellent wines, widely recognized at an international level, which showed both elegance and finesse while maintaining their original character. One of our main strengths is the fact that we are Tuscan or, if you prefer, our fundamentally Tuscan character”, says Piero Antinori.

October Tasting Event

You’re Invited to Join Us!

Inaugurating the new category of “Extraordinary Winery Awards” by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, Viña Errázuriz had the honor of being the first Chilean winery to receive the award “Best Chilean Vineyard 2017“.

Eduardo Chadwick, President of Viña Errázuriz, commented: “Being considered one of the best Chilean wineries by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate is fantastic news. We are very honored with this nomination, and we believe that the nomination reflects the consistency in the high quality of our wines along with the commitment to elaborate the best wines of our terroirs, and to be recognized as a world-class producer. ”

ERRAZURIZ WINERY

Just north of Santiago, Chile’s capital, Errazuriz Winery is located in the Aconcagua Valley. The valley’s beauty and its mild Mediterranean climate more than likely attracted Don Maximiano Errazuriz’s attention, inspiring him to establish his winery in 1870. Easy access to water for irrigation and the volcanic soils, make Aconcagua Valley a viticultural paradise. From the mountains to the coast, it’s the origin of many renowned Chilean wines.

HISTORY

Founder, Don Maximiano Errázuriz Valdivieso

Don Maximiano Errázuriz founded Viña Errázuriz in 1870. With his innovative and pioneering spirit, he planted the first French grape varieties in the Aconcagua Valley. His initiative and creativity were handed down to his descendants, who consolidated the winery and positioned their wines among the world’s most noteworthy. Errazuriz’s family winery has shaped history, currently one of the best examples of successful winemaking in Chile.

CELLAR DOOR 1870 WINERY

For over a century, Viña Errázuriz’s Historic Winery in Panquehue has remained a symbol of the forward thinking vision of its founder, Don Maximiano Errázuriz. Its construction began in 1870, under the guidance of a French winemaker, took over 14 years and incorporated the latest technology at the time.

Built in 1870, Viña Errazuriz’s historic tasting room, located in basement of the winery.

The winery was built as a two-story structure. The excavation and construction of its huge cellar rooms alone took five years. The thick underground walls, built with bricks and mortar, have stood the test of time and have allowed the wine to be kept in large casks made of raulí (a native Chilean tree) at a constant temperature of 53 to 57°F.

Still in use today, the winery houses a historic collection of wines. There are about 400 bottles of each of the vineyard’s iconic wines, which provides an opportunity to experience the vineyard’s evolution through the years.

DON MAXIMIANO ICONIC WINERY

In 2009 the need to project itself into the XXI century and to search for wines of an even higher quality, inspired Viña Errázuriz to start building a new winery devoted exclusively to its high-end wines. The integration of cutting edge technologies has gone hand-in-hand with sustainability and environmental protection, thus paying homage to Don Maximiano’s vision and courageous spirit.

Don Maximiano Winery, Chile

With a capacity to produce over 91,000 gallons, the new Don Maximiano Icon Winery was designed by architect Samuel Claro and built completely with bleached concrete. Its main body is underground and its spiral shape allows for the movement of fruits and liquids by means of gravity and to capture the refreshing breezes from the valley. To maintain adequate levels of temperature and illumination the building harnesses geothermal and solar energy, which are completely environment friendly.

The winery was officially opened in October 2010 with more than 100 guests from around the world, including leaders of the wine industry and press.